The Osceola times., 1887-04-23

After making up his mind that ] could
not harm him, he held his head up.
swung his tail about. and advanced at
Il slow pace. was under cover, and
he might have suspected trap. But
for this he would have probably made
a rush. The tiger displayed exactly the
same characteristics as cat creeping
upon her prey. lie crept, crawled,
twisted about, and sought to shelter
his body behind the slightest tuft o.
grass. He did not however, take his
eyes off me for the tenth of a second.
and the nearer he came the more his
great lips parted to show his yellow
teeth. He was as supple as snake.
and nothing could be more graceful
than his movements. ! could see his
tremendous muscles quiver as he NOV
ed, and | remember of what power he
must have in his legs. 1t was all of
ten minutes before the beasts approach
ed the point whore they realized each
others presence. You would have
thought, with only a wall separating
them, that they must have heard or
scented each other. The fact that they
did not was probably owing to the
excitement under which they labored.
BY and by the lion was almost at the
ed of the wall, and near enough for
his spring. He crouched down,
switched his tail in a mcnacing way,
and plainly saw his talons dig into
the earth as he gathered his muscles
for great effort. While there was
settled determination on his part to
make food of me, there was certaii
trepidation of his general demcanor.
1t was plain that he was mystitied, but
his ferocious nature prevailed.
The tiger kept abreast of the lion,
and he was the first to take the alarm.
He evidently scented the lion, for he
reared up, snufied the air, and then
flung out paw and spat like an angry
cat. This noise startled the lion, and
he rose up, showed his teeth, and took
his eyes off me for the first time.
Either animal could easily have leaped
the wall, but neither attempted it. The
tiger took on a fiercer look and drop
ped some of his stealth, but the lion
reached the end of the wall
first, uttering II roar of defiance
and evidently expecting to meet an
enemy. The tiger was four or five feot
from the end of the wall, and the move
he made was 50 quick that my eyes
could not follow it. As the lions head
showed around the wall the big cat
made lightning spring, and the next
instant the two were rolling over and
over at my feet, fighting as only such
beasts can fight, and growing in a
manner to make my hair turn gray. II
was then that strength came back to
me, and | rose up, but instead of rush
ing away ran back into the building.
Reaching the rear wall stood there IA
prisoner and spectator. The first
clinch lasted about three minutes, and
was characterized by such fcrocity as
/ can not describe. While the lion
and the tiger are probably natural
enemies, | suppose the fact that both
had planned TO make meat of me.
and both felt themselves disappointed,
aroused all their ferocity. Most of the
time during the first clinch they were
rolling over and over like big ball.
tearing, biting and growing, and the
movements of the tiger were much the
quickest They finally separated, each
backed of few feet, and each stood
broadside to me. | could see half a
dozen blood-stains on the lions side,
while the tiger had been terribly bit
ten about the neck, and there was a
bloody scratch on his quarter. They
faced each other for about minute.
the lion roaring in deep bass and the
tiger snarling like an enraged cat.
Then, as swift as flash of lightning,
the tiger bounded through space and
alighted on the lions back, and ain
they rolled and tumbled about. The
fight was too fierce to be kept up long,
and too determined not to result in
severe injuries.
When the beasts finally struggled tc
their feet, the tiger had hold Of the lior
just back of the foreshoulder and he
hung there and worried the king as
dog would sheep. Twice the lior
yelped out as if he had lost his courage
but he suddenly made Il grand exertior
broke the tigers hold, and then turne,
and caught him by the neck though
all was over with the cat. The liol
actually lifted him clear off the grount
and shook him, and this time the tige
whined. After n bit, however, h,
twisted his body around until mis- hin,
claws came into play, and then tn,
lion had to let go. There was anothe
rest for minute or two, and again tn
tiger was the aggressive party. Thi
time they fought more like dogs
neither seeming able to down the othe
and they kept worsing away from tn
building towards the creek. | advano
ed as they retreated. and they wer
still doing their best to dcstro,
each other when they rolled off tn,
bank into the creek. Each was cover
ed with blood from nose to tail. an,
the injuries inflicted must have beer
serious. The tumble into the waite
separated them, and while the tigeI
reached the opposite bank at one spot
the lion crawled out at another thirty